1. Field of the System
The present system relates to a method of playing a cribbage game. More specifically, the present system relates to a modification of the method of playing a cribbage game. The modification to the game involves a method of playing the game as a casino table game, a card room game or a video slot machine game.
2. Background
The conventional cribbage game involves two players, a deck of 52 playing cards and a cribbage pegboard. As used in this patent application, “conventional cribbage” and the “conventional manner of playing cribbage” is defined as the game of cribbage as described on pages 254–263 of “Bicycle Official Rules of Card Games”, Joli Quentin Kansil, Editor, The United States Playing Card Company publishers, and incorporated by reference herein.
In conventional cribbage, the dealer distributes six cards face down to his opponent and himself, beginning with the opponent. The object of the game is to be the first player to score 121 points (some games are to 61 points). Players earn points during play and for making various card combinations. A detailed description of the scoring method is set forth below.
Next, each player looks at his or her six cards and “lays away” two of them face down to reduce the hand to four. The four cards laid away together constitute “the Crib”. The crib belongs to the dealer, but these cards are not exposed or used until after the hands have been played.
After the hand is dealt and the crib hand is laid away, the non-dealer cuts the deck. The dealer turns up the top card of the lower packet and places it face up on top of the deck. This card is the “starter”. If the starter card is a jack, it is called “his heels,” and the dealer pegs (scores) 2 points at once. The starter is not used in the play phase of Cribbage, but is used later for making various card combinations that score points.
After the starter is turned, the non-dealer lays one of his cards face up on the table. The dealer similarly exposes a card, then non-dealer again and so on. The hands are exposed card-by-card, alternately except for a “Go,” as set forth in detail below. Each player keeps his card separate from his opponent.
As each per play, he announces a running total of “pips” reached by the addition of the last card to those already played. For example, the non-dealer begins with a five saying “five.” The dealer plays a seven saying “twelve.” The kings, queens and jacks all count for 10 points each, aces are low each counting for 1 point.
During play, the running total of cards may never exceed 31. If a player cannot add another card without exceeding 31, he or she says “Go” and the opponent pegs 1. After gaining the Go, the opponent must first lay down any additional cards he can without exceeding 31. Besides the point for Go, he may then score any additional points that can be made through pairs and runs, described in detail below. If a player reaches exactly 31, he pegs two instead of one for Go.
The player who called Go leads for the next series of plays, with the count starting at zero. The lead may not be combined with any cards previously played to form a scoring combination; the Go has interrupted the sequence.
The person who plays the last card pegs one for Go, plus one extra of the card brings the count to exactly 31. The dealer is sure to peg at least one point in every hand, because he will have a Go on the last card if not earlier.
The object in the game is to score points by pegging, In addition to a Go, a player may score for the following combinations:
Fifteen - adding a card that makes the total 15Peg 2Pair - For adding a card of the same rank as one just played.Peg 2Triplet - For adding a third card of the same rank.Peg 6Four - For adding a fourth card of the same rank.Peg 12
Run: For adding a card that forms with those just played:
For a sequence of three.Peg 3For a sequence of four.Peg 4For a sequence of five.Peg 5
When the play ends, the three hands are counted in order: non-dealer's is counted hand first, dealer's hand is counted second, and then the crib hand is counted last. When counting hands, the starter is considered to be part of each hand, so that the hands in counting each comprise five cards. The basic scoring is as follows:
Each combination of cards that totals 15counts 2Each pair of cards of the same rankcounts 2Each combination of three or more in sequencecounts 1Four cards of the same suit in handcounts 4Four cards in hand or crib of same suit as startercounts 5His Nobs - jack of same suit as starter in hand or cribcounts 1Each and every card combination of two cards that make a pair, two or more cards that make 15, or three or more cards that make a run, count separately.
The method of playing cribbage according to the present system comprises a live casino card game that uses the scoring method of traditional cribbage to determine hand values without the using the pegging portion of traditional scoring. The present system comprises a method for playing a casino version of the traditional cribbage game. In one aspect of the present system, a method involves counting the four-card hands and one shared upcard or starter card. The hands can then be used for hand-to-hand comparisons between players. In another embodiment, a method is disclosed for odds-based payoffs for total hand count to reward “good” hands.
Definitions
As used in the present patent application, the following words have the following meanings ascribed to them:
“The Count”—The term for totaling hand values.
“Commission”—The percentage charge on winning hands that goes to the house.
“Crib”—The four cards laid away together that belong to the dealer.
“Go”—During the play, one point for the last player to peg under 31.
“His Heels”—If the starter card is any Jack, it counts as two points for the dealer.
“House”—Casino offering and operating the game.
“House Advantage”—The mathematical advantage (in percentage) of the house hand over the player's hand.
“House Banker”—The casino dealer.
“House Rules”—A discard strategy according to a specified set of criteria.
“Lays away”—The term for when the player or the dealer discards one or two cards.
“His Nobs”—If a hand has a jack of the same suit as the starter card, it counts as one point.
“Payoff Chart”—The list of “odds payoffs” for specified hand values.
“The Play”—Counting and pegging points (pairs, 15s, runs and Go's) to 31 between players.
“Player Banker”—Player covering all wagers when not playing against house dealer.
“Pone”—Dealer's opponent.
“Push”—Tie, no win or lose.
“The Show”—Totaling hand values.
“Starter Card”—Shared upcard counted in all hands.
“29 Point Hand”—Best possible traditional hand—includes starter card of a five, three fives in the hand plus the Jack of the same suit as the starter card.